GENERAL Is there any other information that you would like to share?

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1 GENERAL Is there any other information that you would like to share? Although diversity is important, it is more important to admit students and hire faculty and staff because they are highly qualified. It would be a mistake to admit or hire someone solely based on diversity issues -- it's more important to have the best person for the job or the most qualified student for the program. As a part-time commuter, I feel like a non-entity at GSLIS. For those with family obligations/dependants the GSLIS and especially Simmons in general are not always welcoming/inclusive. ***new PARKING policies are very restrictive for those who have obligations outside school. Reality does not match claims. Good luck! Having so many Saturday events/classes makes it difficult for observant Jewish students to attend and participate. I already shared it in answer to Question 24. I have experienced very little diversity at Simmons so find it difficult to answer many of the questions. The only diversity I have experienced has been within the student body and it has been positive. I still believe it should be increased. The diversity we foster at Simmons will reflect in our graduates. Diversity needs to be improved in the library field in general. 1

2 I have found Dean Cloonan to be very approachable about ANY concern, and this would include diversity issues. I feel it is important that students realize the Dean is available to them if they have such a concern. For the most part, I think Dean Cloonan does make this known, and I hope she will continue to do so. I never know what to put for ethnicity. t sure what you want, my ancestry is Eastern European Jewish, but I am a third-generation American, and I don't consider myself to be Jewish. Also, Judaism is a religion, not an ethnicity, further complicating the matter. I would like to say my ethnicity is American, but I know people don't like to accept American as an ethnicity. It sure is a way of life and thinking, though, isn't it? I pursue atypical spiritual paths not shared by the great majority of my fellow students and other persons on campus I think the pendulum is beginning to swing in favor of minorities and against middle class Caucasian students. There are many scholarship programs geared towards minority students, more than for middle class white students. I think what you need to aim for is fairness. If a minority represents 8 % of the population, they should not get 95 % of the scholarships. I think what you need to aim for is equity and support, judging each applicant as an applicant and put the ethnicity issues in perspective. I'm a single parent who relocated from Illinois to Boston for school (hence the feelings on a lack of family office or housing). I'm Jewish of Eastern European descent, a Democrat, not transgender, in the upper edge of the upper middle class, and engaged with no children. In regards to the question 25, what if you are 25? Bad survey design!! It is very difficult to qualify for scholarship if you are not considered, Hispanic, Asian or African American. I am no better off financially then my counterparts who do qualify for scholarship money nor am I any more qualified. There seems to be some inequity for scholarship money. 2

3 It seems to me that GSLIS is committed to diversity, especially in regards to race and gender. It is appropriate that the school tries to attract African Americans and more men to librarianship. However, it seems like the scholarship opportunities for African Americans are plentiful, while in my experience if one is white (or any other color), only the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation was color-blind. Do we hear about scholarship opportunities for African Americans because Dean Knowles has a special interest in increasing diversity among the student body? Are there other scholarships available to non-african American students, and GSLIS does not alert the students? Jewish, Democrat Jewish. married, father of a two year old Married, without children My biggest area of concern regarding diversity would be with political diversity. Many professors and students assume that because you are at a liberal college you have liberal views. I am often disconcerted after hearing professors and students make blanket statements about political issues without regard to other people's feelings and/or situations. Comments made about the military, etc. have been made on several occasions, which I find offensive considering my spouse is oversees with the military. I realize these feels are specific to me, but no one knows how many other students are feeling the same way because of fear of speaking out and being judged by those with differing views. There is a strong liberal voice which I respect, but I think it should be silenced in the classroom. N/A 3

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6 ; but thanks for asking. pe pe 6

7 pe Other students do not know about my sexual orientation, and aside from a few outspoken individuals, I don't know about others. This is fine for professional purposes, but when we get out into the world it would be good to have built some sort of network for people with similar concerns--or to just have a way to socialize. Perhaps a GSLIS gay/straight alliance group? I'm not sure what the issues are in the library world beyond domestic partner benefits, would like to know more. Please see my comments made in a previous section. I'm quite serious about this. Question 22 has a huge typo. The 'Slightly Disagree' column that is third from the left should read 'Slightly Agree.' I entered my responses on the assumption that they would be read as 'Slightly Agree.' Sometimes I do not mention that I am Catholic. Many times...in society, not at Simmons... you feel like it's the one approved place to bash a person. Many make an assumption that we all feel the same... we don't... but we can not change the foundation easily. Sometimes we have to change ourselves first then improve the culture of our religion. I would like to see more appreciation for each others religions beliefs and the variations we have with in them. Thank you Thank you for engaging seriously with this issue. Thanks for doing this. There is a lot of stigma in having mental illness and not much help for it. Even the school insurance is poor in that way. I think that having some sort of mental illness awareness information available to students and integrating mental illness awareness as a focus would be good. 7

8 This seems like a waste of time, when there are more concrete issues. I'd feel more respected if the parking situation weren't so dire, for example. When I think of diversity, I think of racial inclusion. I would like to see as many black students as I see at the School of Social Work. I would prefer to focus and correct this shortcoming, rather than worry about 'sexual diversity' Whenever you purchase furniture for the buildings remember that big people don't fit into all the chairs, the classroom desks are uncomfortable for three hour classes and some of the chairs with arms are a tight fit. You didn't ask here about religion. I'm Jewish. There is no recognition of the Jewish holidays at Simmons, or of the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday (look how many of the Continuing Ed classes are on Saturday). How do you expect to correlate answers about religion if you don't ask in this section? 8